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They were supposed to meet at the park outside Marinette's house for a school project. It was supposed to be the four of them, Nino, Adrien, Alya and Marinette, but shockingly only Nino was there. Nino was never early. He spent the next 5 minutes checking his phone to make sure that he indeed have the right time.
"Nino!" Nino looked up from his phone to see Marinette approaching and began to realize why she was so late. Even though Nino's crush for Marinette has long since vanished (praise be to his lovely girlfriend Alya) he still had eyes and could tell that Marinette spent time to curl her hair and put on a sundress and... "Nino?"
"Why do you look like that?"
"What?" Marinette looked embarrassed and flushed bright red. "Oh this? This silly old dress? This is nothing I just made it myself and wanted to test it out."
"While we're making a baking soda volcano?"
Marinette, shockingly, got redder.
"Well, I mean, I guess, uh... Where are the others?" Marinette asked looking around the park. Nino humored her attempt at changing the topic as he looked back towards his phone.
"I don't know. Alya just texted saying she'll be a little late and Adrien said he-" And in that moment, Nino's entire life changed. Tumbling from the sky, landing on their table came Chat Noir. Nino jumped as far away from the table as possible, and to his shock Marinette jumped towards it.
"Chat Noir?" She exclaimed as she went towards his side.
"Why if it isn't my purritty purrincess." Nino watched as Marinette brought her head to her hands and groaned in disbelief. "Aren't you going to ask me if it hurt when I fell from heaven?"
"If it hurt? I'm sure that you died in that fall, just like how that pick up line died years ago."
"You wound me, Princess." Chat said as he sat up from the table. He put a hand to his heart as he looked at Marinette pleadingly. Marinette rolled her eyes as she stepped back from the table. Chat Noir got down, took her hand and bowed over it, giving it a quick kiss. Nino was looking around to see if anyone else was seeing this.
"But seriously Chat, why did you fall from the sky? Is there an akuma near by, what's going-" And Marinette was cut of by a loud shriek of laughter coming from down the street opposite of Marinette's family bakery. She looked back to Chat who gave her a small laugh and shrug of his shoulders.
"Listen, Princess as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I'd rather get you to safety, or else what kind of knight would I- oh hey." Chat said as he dragged his gaze away from Marinette. "Umm, so what's going on here?"
"We're meeting here for a science project- Oh No! Adrien and Alya! They were supposed to meet us here!" Marinette said before going into a slight panic. "Have you seen them?"
"Alya said she was on her way and Adrien said he was around the corner." Nino said checking his phone in slight panic.
"Adrien's house come's from where the akuma came from, Chat did you see him? Is he okay?"
"Worried about another man? Princess, I'm hur-"
"Chat!" Nino didn't see it coming, but somehow Marinette saw the vine flying at Chat Noir and pulled him out of the way. Marinette just saved Chat Noir's life and Nino was freaking out because here they were Marinette on top of Chat protecting him from an akuma vine.
"Okay, I'm getting you to safety." Chat said as he got off the ground pulling Marinette up with him. He cradled her close then grabbed onto Nino and unceremoniously tossed him over his shoulder. Nino was weirdly jealous about how nicely Marinette was being held in comparison to him. After a minute of running and hurdling over buildings Chat Noir finally put Nino down then Marinette.
"Chat! Adrien is still over there with Alya-"
"He's fine, I got Adrien to safety before I got to you." Marinette sighed in relief.
"And Alya?" Nino asked, yet again bringing Chat's attention away from Marinette. Chat gave him a quick look and a nod.
"I would save her, but do you honestly think she'd want to be anywhere but the action, plus I'm sure Ladybug would be there by now to watch over her." Nino gave Chat Noir a quick nod. "Now, stay out of trouble." Chat said looking directly at Marinette.
"Alright."
"Promise me you'll stay out of trouble, I don't need to worry about you while fighting crime." Chat teased.
"Well I don't need to worry about you! I saved you today."
"Yeah, well the Knight's supposed to save the Princess, not the other way around." Chat said. He brought her hand back up to his face to kiss the back of it before taking out his baton. "See you later, Princess. By the way, you look utterly devine!" Chat yelled at her as he vaulted away. Nino saw Marinette huff once at Chat before she went to run away.
"Wait! Where are you going? Chat said to stay out of trouble." Nino said reaching for her arm to stop her.
"And I will, I just... have to check on my parents. Gotta go Nino!" Marinette said wrenching her arm out of Nino's grasp and running off. Nino wanted to smack his head into a wall. A moment later, Nino saw Ladybug fly over his head and his worry skyrocketed. If Ladybug was only just arriving at the scene then Chat Noir left that akuma to run wild with Alya near by. Nino dug out his phone and went directly to the livestream at the LadyBlog. It took Nino's phone a moment to load the video, but when he saw Alya's face in live time he felt himself relax. A minute later and Nino saw and felt the effect of Ladybug's lucky charm take a hold of Paris.
"Ladybug! Chat Noir! A moment?" Alya's voice rang out from Nino's phone. Nino saw as Alya ran up closer to the pair and he saw Ladybug's welcoming face next to Chat Noir's slightly antsy one.
"Sure I'm sure Chat and I-"
"Actually, My Lady I need to check on someone." Chat said as he went to hop out of frame.
"A girlfriend." Ladybug teased.
"Well she is a girl, and she is a friend but not together a girl-friend." Nino saw the way Ladybug's face changed from teasing to shockingly confused to panicked.
"A girl and friend? Separately! Chat Noir who is this mystery girl?" Alya's voice rang out through the phone.
"A dear friend of mine, a true princess, now if you will-"
Princess?
Nino was living. He was looking around for Marinette hoping that she would magically have been back. What was going on! What is this? How did this happen?
"Princess!?" Alya hissed and Ladybug's earring beeped.
"Well, looks like I've got to go!" Ladybug yelled out as she launched herself out of camera shot. Alya didn't care though, she was focusing on Chat Noir.
"A Princess, dear Chat Noir do you have a crush?" Alya's voice teased and by God Chat was getting red.
"Nope, nope, no, way, absolutely not. Nope, good day." With that Chat also launched out of screen. Nino vaguely heard something fly over head, but he was paying closer attention to Alya's live blogging.
"Well guys you heard it here first! Could Chat Noir have a crush? A girlfriend? Well, we all know now that he has a Princess, but who is she? Alright everyone, this was the Ladyblog, I'm Alya and I'm signing out!" With that the video screen went silent and Nino found himself watching it in shocked silence.
"Nino!" He heard Marinette's voice ring out behind him. She was a little out of breath as she ran up to him. "Are you okay? Have you been here this whole time?"
"Yeah, I'm fine! You on the other hand! Marinette what the-"
"Marinette!" Marinette and Nino looked up to see Chat Noir flying down from the sky. "Why did I see you running towards Nino! Did you not stay here! I swear I drag you out to safety just to see you run back towards it!" Chat Noir chastised Marinette.
"Well I just wanted to check on my parents! And it was fine I was watching the Ladyblog the whole time to make sure I wasn't running into danger. But listen what was with that Princess stuff, you saw that I was fine, why couldn't you just leave me al-" Marinette was cut off by the sound of a beep coming from Chat Noir. "You should go."
"You shouldn't be giving me heart attacks."
"Chat-"
"Fine, goodbye Princess." And with that Nino watched Chat run off. Nino's gaze followed the Black Clad hero as Marinette grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards the park.
"Hey Marinette?"
"Yes Nino?"
"How long has that been going on?"
"Well I helped him defeat an akuma a couple of months ago and we've run into each other every once in a while since then, nothing too big."
"Marinette you literally saved his life-"
"And he saves all of Paris, I don't see what the big- Oh Hey guys!" Nino looked away from Marinette to see Alya and Adrien down the street. Alya turned first followed by Adrien. At the sight of Marinette, Alya screamed.
"Where were you guys? Were you okay? Did you see the Lady blog live stream?" She asked in rapid fire questions.
"Yeah we're fine and we saw the stream, are you oka-"
"Am I okay? Marinette I'm living! I've just been reborn! Oh god!" Alya let out the most unnecessary sound as she grabbed both of Marinette's hands. "Chat Noir has a girlfriend."
"Alya, Chat Noir has a friend who so happens to be a girl." Marinette argued.
"But you don't just go around Paris calling people Princess! Adrien! Would you call a completely platonic friend of yours Princess?" Alya asked.
"Well, um I don't really know I guess it depends on the situation-"
"B.S., Nino, what about you?" Alya asked turning to Nino, as she began to drag Marinette towards the park they were originally going to meet at.
"Nope, I don't think Princess is a platonic nickname at all." At this Nino pointedly looked towards Marinette ignoring Alya's cheers of victory.
"I wonder who this girl is? To capture the heart of Chat Noir."
"Well I'm sure she's-" Nino was cut off by a swift jab to the stomach by Marinette.
"Going to remain a mystery, even from you Alya." Alya huffed, but let it drop as she changed the topic of conversation to their science project.
Nino went along silently, but made a note to call Alya later that night to tell her everything.
"Alya."
"Nino, it is three in the morning."
"Alya."
"What Nino?"
"I think Chat Noir likes Marinette, like I think they're dating."
"Nino?"
"Yes Alya?"
"How high are you right now?"
Nino rolled his eyes as he fell back into his bed with a low groan. This wasn't going the way he wanted it to go. At All.
"Alya I swear on my DJ Career that I am not high at all."
"Then you must be hallucinating, dreaming? A mix of both."
"Alya I need you to listen to me, Chat Noir was talking about Marinette. He calls her Princess and she saved him from vines earlier and they were bantering and flirting and Alya he called her devine. Alya!" Nino huffed out.
"Alright Nino I'll humor you. So if, and I use if very reluctantly, Marinette is Chat Noir's princess, then why wouldn't she tell us?"
"I don't know she stopped me from doing it earlier!"
"You know what, Nino your theory has zero merit. Chat Noir is clearly in love with Ladybug, I've never seen him flirt with anyone else the way he does Ladybug."
"He kissed her hand! Multiple times! He cradled her in his arms! I was there cause he threw me over his shoulder and when he cradled Marinette to safety!" He hissed into the phone.
"Nino."
"Yes, Alya."
"I'm too tired to deal with you and your conspiracy theories-"
"Conspiracy theories?"
"This early in the morning. Goodnight Nino." With that Alya hung up and left Nino in shock. Well looks like he'll have to get Alya some evidence then.
His chance to get evidence came up again about a week later when Marinette and Nino were walking together to meet Alya at the theatre. They were discussing which movie they thought Alya would force them to see when an explosion launched them from their feet. Nino fell pretty well for someone as inelegant as he was, but Marinette...
Nino turned his head in time to see Marinette slam in a lamp-post and fall to the ground. Nino kept his gaze on her as she tried to get up but failed. She was lying on the floor, and clutching her head. When the ringing in Nino's ears subsided and he didn't feel like the world was going to end he made his way towards Marinette.
"Marinette! Mari! Come on!" He got to her side and tried to help her up. Marinette groaned and leaned heavily against Nino. "Oh god, why did this have to happen now? Oh God, oh God, oh God." Nino looked around to see the street was cleared except for a woman with bombs in their hand. She was giggling and tossing one bomb up and down yelling taunts out into the street.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are! Ladybug! Chat Noir!" She tossed another of her bombs and an explosion of pink rocked the earth. "Face me!" She yelled out and Nino felt himself shaking.
"Marinette we gotta-" Nino felt a hand clamp over his mouth and when he turned his head he saw Chat Noir with a finger to his lips.
"Follow me, I got Mari." Nino nodded his head aggressively as he saw Chat Noir pick up Marinette bridal style and snuck back behind a building. Nino let Chat Noir walk further into the alley with Marinette as he looked back towards the akuma watching her move farther away from their hiding spot. When she was no longer in view Nino turned his attention towards Chat Noir and Marinette.
"Easy there Princess." Chat said as he helped her to her feet. He had one hand on her waist and another going back and forth between her head and her elbow. Marinette had one hand to her head and another on Chat's shoulder for support. "It's okay, you'll be fine, you're alright."
"I know I'm alright Chaton, but do you know I'm alright?" Marinette teased with a breathy laugh. Chat Noir looked at her for a moment before letting out a small laugh. He wiped a little blood from her head before pulling her in for a quick hug.
"Yeah, you're right, you're okay." He let out another small laugh before pulling away. "We've got to stop meeting like this, Princess."
"Like what, Chat? On the brink of an akuma attack? Saving each other's lives? I think we're finally even on that front." Marinette said with a bit of a laugh. Chat gave her a quick smile and combed his fingers through her hair free from her pig tails once, then twice and on the third time left his hand in there to cradle her head.
Nino tried to take a photo in the dark alley.
"Alright Princess, we're even. Now do your knight a favor and promise me that the next time we meet its because I'm on patrol and just so happen to stop by your balcony and not because you happened to be in the middle of an akuma attack."
"Does this mean you're going to annoy me at my house as well."
"'Annoy' is a strong word, Princess." Chat said. The ground quacked under their feet and the taunts of the akuma was heard again. Chat turned back towards Marinette and Nino would swear on his life that he saw Chat Noir kiss Marinette on the forehead in the most un-platonic way. "Stay safe." He mumbled against her skin lips still grazing her forehead- what in the name of the good lord.
Then he was off and Nino was having a hernia.
"Nothing big my ass! Marinette I don't curse that often, but what the shit!"
"Nino?"
"Yes?"
"Run." And with that Nino saw Marinette sprint past him towards another abandoned alley and Nino went to follow her only to be cut off by another explosion.
"Why do you do this!?" Nino yelled to Marinette as she continued to run away from him. "Oh my god, you know what? The two idiots deserve each other! Running into trouble like it's nothing! What?" Nino huffed to himself. Well at least he got photo evidence this time.
"Nino?"
"Yes, Alya?"
"I didn't realize a photo of Marinette and Chat Noir embracing would look so much like a bad selfie."
"What?"
Nino had the camera in selfie mode.
Kill me.
Nino wasn't even surprised anymore, honestly.
"So Princess, what brings you out and about?" Chat Noir asked as he swiped away a rogue bat (these akuma's were getting ridiculous now a-days).
"I was going to drop off some stuff for my friend, she's very sick and she would kill to be in my place right now." Marinette sighed as she too seemed to smack a rogue bat out of the air.
"Nice shot, Princess." Chat said with a teasing wink and a blown kiss. Marinette groaned. Before pushing Chat out of the way and kicking at another akuma minion.
"Watch your back you silly kitty!" Marinette teased him right back. Nino was desperately looking for his phone and when he found it he almost cried in relief.
"Why watch my back when you're watching it for me?" He asked before exaggeratedly kissing her on the cheek. Nino had his phone in his hand, his camera was focused on the pair, he had the photo of Chat kissing her cheek, he was finally going to-"
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storage in Settings.
Nino wailed.
"Oh Nino! What a good idea!" Marinette said. "Alya would love you even more if she found out you were going to take a video for her for the Ladyblog!"
"My phone has no camera storage." Did he really sound that depressed.
"Oh take mine!" Marinette said as she handed Nino her phone over happily. She traded her phone for the "get well better" snacks in Nino's hands.
"What, my partner in crime is leaving me?"
"I'm going safely towards Alya's house to give her supplies so you don't worry about me." Marinette teased.
"Of course, Princess." He said and kissed the back of her hand before running off into danger.
"My password's 237436 if you need it!" And with that Marinette ran off and Nino was left feeling completely useless.
"This is the most dispassionate Liveblog I have ever seen."
"Alya, I really don't want to here this right now."
"Okay, Nino this has to stop." Alya said one afternoon after school. Nino was walking Alya home and was avidly trying to convince her that Marinette was in fact Chat Noir's Princess, much to her annoyance. "The only evidence you have can't be proved!"
"Alya I know what I saw, and what I saw was not platonic!" Nino argued.
"And I know Marinette and I know who she has a crush on Nino and it's not Chat Noir!" Alya hissed out as the went through the gate into a park.
"Yeah, I know Marinette likes Adrien, and I'm telling you Adrien likes Ladybug. I hate to say it, but so long as this celebrity crush is going on Adrien isn't going to notice Marinette the way Chat Noir does!" Nino hissed out. The sounds of a camera flashing were heard in the distance.
"But Chat Noir doesn't notice Marinette! As far as I've seen they haven't interacted since the Evillistrator almost a year ago!" Alya huffed out.
"I'm telling you that just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it hasn't been happening! He's told her that he would visit her on her balcony during his night patrol! How does he know she has a balcony unless he keeps in close contact with her!"
"How do the heroes of Paris know anything Nino? It's magic!" Alya made magical hand motions and Nino groaned. The sound of a camera flash grew louder bringing Nino and Alya out of their heated debate. As they grew closer they noticed Adrien was having a photo shoot in the park. He waved to the two of them and spoke a few words to the photographer before Alya and Nino saw him running to greet them.
"Hey guys, no Marinette today?" Adrien asked as he got closer.
"No Marinette today, Romeo." Alya teased pumping his shoulder. "Just me and Mr. Conspiracy Theory over here." Adrien let out a small snort between disbelief and laughter.
"Mr. Conspiracy Theory?" He asked and Alya groaned.
"Please don't get him started! He think's Marinette-"
"Knows!" Nino interrupted. "I know Marinette is Chat Noir's Princess, and I know they're dating or Chat Noir has a crush on her!" Nino huffed out. Adrien seemed to choke on air at Nino's self-assured tone. "Dude, you okay?"
"Yeah, I um just... What makes you say that?"
"Ha! See even your best friend finds your theory far-fetched!" Alya cheered as she gave a definitive poke to Nino's chest. He brushed her off with a sigh.
"He doesn't find it far fetched, he's just asking for my reasoning." Nino declared.
Alya rolled her eyes. "Here we go." She stage whispered to Adrien.
"Well you see I have miraculously been by Marinette's side for the past couple of akuma attacks and every interaction I see has become couple-y-er? Is that a word? You know what doesn't matter!" Nino huffed out as he began to pace back and forth in front of the two disbelieving parties. "I mean I guess you could kiss someone's hand and jokingly call them Princess platonically, but you don't leave lingering touches! Lingering forehead and cheek kisses! You don't cradle their wounded head in your hands and run your fingers through their hair and wipe the blood off of them and assure yourself of their safety!"
"Adrien who knew my boyfriend was such a romantic." Alya teased, but Nino was livid in his desperation to convince his closest friends of this truth. He stopped his pacing however when he saw Adrien clearly red with a look of shock over his face. Alya seemed to notice it too. "Adrien?" She gave him a quick shake to wake him from his stupor.
"Alya, I think Adrien just figured out that he likes Marinette." Nino said. Alya looked between Nino and Adrien in disbelief.
"Really!"
"Probably hearing what another man was doing to Marinette forced him to realize he was losing her."
"Losing her? He's not losing her to Chat Noir because nothing is going on there-"
"Yet! Nothing is going on there yet!" Nino said before he brought both hands to Adrien's shoulder's getting his attention. "I'm sorry, dude, but there is no way you can compete for Marinette's heart when there is a super hero in the game. Think on the bright side though! Ladybug's still single." Alya groaned in annoyance.
"Nino, stop trying to break up my ships."
"Alya let nature take it's course."
"You guys-" Adrien was cut off by the photographer calling him back towards the shoot. "I gotta go..." With that he ran off, still as red as he was before.
"Nino, you broke Adrien."
"No, I just gave him some hard truths."
Later that night, Nino got a call from Adrien.
"You seriously think Chat's in love with Marinette?"
"Positive."
"Do you think Marinette is in love with Chat?"
Nino let a smile grace his face. He was glad to know his closest friend actually believed him.
"I think she is, but she hasn't realized it yet."
"Oh... ok."
Nino would have thought Adrien would be more upset to hear the news. Shouldn't he feel less... excited?
This akuma was after Marinette, and Nino thought there was no way in hell that Alya could miss the way Chat Noir treated Marinette.
"Hello... miss?" Something was terribly wrong.
"Chat Noir?" Marinette stood next to Alya and Nino in a deserted alley in Paris hiding away from the angered akuma. Marinette looked up at Chat Noir confusion written on her face as she looked at him. Chat Noir was red.
"You're Marinette, right?"
"Yes, but you knew-"
"Great, I uh.. got to get you away from here." He said it so dispassionately and Alya sent Nino a triumphant look. Nino however wasn't paying attention because he was looking at the way Marinette's features were overcome with betrayal, disappointment and heartache.
"I see... but I'm not leaving without my friends. So you might as well go back to fighting the akuma." Marinette went to walk past him, but Chat stopped her with his baton.
"I can't let you do that, pri-please, Mari." Alya in all her detective skill seemed to notice the slip of tongue and the self assured look she sent Nino was melting off her face. "I need you safe."
"I need Adrien safe." She bit back. "He was out there with us, we split up-"
"He's fine. I made sure of it after all the times you've make me save him." Nino saw the spark of the older Chat Noir in his gaze. Chat reached out, but stopped for a moment before continuing to grab her arm. He brought her closer to him stuck his baton in the ground then launched to the roof tops carrying Marinette close to his body as he ran.
Alya followed from the floor in hopes to follow the action, but she was unable to catch Chat and Mari. She was forced to follow Ladybug back to the main action and recorded one of the frostiest Akuma battles Paris has ever seen.
"Nino."
"Yes, Alya?"
"Marinette called me... she was sobbing Nino and she wouldn't tell me why." There was a moment of silence on the other side of the phone. "I think your theory holds merit."
Alya started a servay the next day on the Lady blog called "Cinderella: Who is Chat's Missing Princess?"
Marinette's name didn't show up.
Marinette and Adrien were both in some kind of weird funk for the next week at school. Marinette stuck to her designs, Adrien stuck to his modeling and Nino and Alya felt like they were in the middle of the next Cold War with no end in sight.
"We gotta fix this." Nino said as he watched the slump of Adrien's back as he left class that day.
"I know... I'll go to Marinette's house later tonight and I'll talk to her." Alya said with determination in her eyes. She gave Nino a stiff nod before leaving class.
Nino wasn't expecting a face-time call from Alya, so he was shocked to say the least when he picked up and was shushed by a frantic Alya.
"Alya what are you-"
"Please talk to me, Princess."
"Oh, so now it's Princess?"
Nino was shocked into silence and he saw the expression mirrored on Alya's face. On the screen Alya was shown to be on the stairs leading up to Mari's room. She switched the camera around so Nino could see the inside of the bedroom. It was completely empty and Nino watched as Alya walked into the room and towards Marinette's bed. She went towards the balcony and Nino could see them.
"Princess please, at least listen to me?" Marinette was silent. Nino saw her give a slight nod and whispered something Nino couldn't hear.
"I didn't want to flirt with you with Alya there, Princess."
"Why? What's the big deal, you've joked with me all the time in front of Nino."
"Nino does not run the Ladyblog."
"Are you saying you don't like Alya or the Ladyblog?"
Marinette sounded justified in her slight annoyance at Chat Noir's lack of faith in her best friend.
"No, I like the Ladyblog and I like Alya. What I don't like is what could happen if she were filming me for her blog and gets you... gets a video of us interacting."
"What does that mean Chat?"
"You seriously don't know? Princess, there are no other-"
Chat Noir looked down and Nino could see that Chat Noir saw Alya and his face morphed in despair.
"Shit." Alya hissed and Nino was left starring at his face in his phone. The disconnection screen flashed in front of Nino and he felt weirdly empty as he looked at it.
"Nino!" Said boy turned around to see Marinette launch herself at him before proceeding to hide behind his back. "Hide me!"
"Wha? Marinette what's going-"
"Marinette!" Nino looked down to see Alya running towards Nino. "I just want to talk to you!"
"If you mention Chat anywhere in the next sentence I'm going to-" Marinette began, but was stopped when Alya grabbed her shoulders and gave her a quick shake.
"No, we're talking about this now!" Alya hissed out. "First of all, I'm sorry for ease dropping on an important conversation-"
"Alya it wasn't that important-"
"Secondly! I just wanted to ask why you didn't trust me enough to tell me in the first place! You know I wouldn't have used your relationship to Chat Noir to get exclusive interviews- okay maybe just one, but Marinette-"
"No Alya that's not the point in all of this." Marinette huffed out. She turned to Nino and sighed giving him an exasperated look. "First of all, it's fine I'm sure that conversation wasn't really that important. Chat Noir is weird some days, like I'm sure he is with everyone."
Everyone? That threw Nino off. Did Marinette believe that she wasn't important to Chat Noir? Was she not there for her own conversation. How could anyone be so dense?
"Marinette, do you seriously believe Chat Noir interacts with other girls the way he interacts with you?" Alya hissed out. Marinette rolled her eyes as she began to walk into school.
"I'm positive he does. He's a massive flirt." Marinette said just a little too easily.
"No he doesn't!" Alya hissed out, and Nino was started to feel some of her annoyance at the whole situation.
"Well, he avidly flirts with Ladybug, and he avidly flirts with me. I'm sure he's flirted with every girl he's ever saved." Marinette brushed it off, turning down another hallway.
"No, he doesn't! Where's your proof Marinette?"
"Where's yours?" Nino was having a hernia.
"Oh my God, let's settle this! Hey Rose!" Said girl looked up at Nino, her smile still adoring her face as she left her conversation with Juleka to join them.
"What's up?"
"You've been saved by Chat Noir right?" Rose looked a little taken aback by the question, but nodded her head in agreement. "Has he ever flirted with you? While saving you? Before? Or After? Has he flirted with you ever?" Nino asked deliberately.
"Well, no he hasn't. He's always been a complete gentleman... Nino where is this go-"
"Juleka! What about you? Have you been hit on by Chat Noir?"
"No? He called me miss when he saved me once, but yeah thats about it..." Juleka said giving a simple nod before going back to her game.
"That doesn't mean anything-" Marinette began to defend herself when Nino cut her off again.
"Any one? Girls? Dudes? Has Chat Noir flirted with any of you?" Nino asked to the class and recieved a wave of 'no's'. He turned to Marinette expectantly.
"What? This is a small sample size. I'm not going to believe Chat Noir only calls me, princess." She said quietly to Nino and Alya.
"Then why make such a big deal about keeping it secret?" Alya asked.
"It's just because I never found it important enough to-" Nino was hit by an epiphany.
"It's because you like it. You like the secret, small attention. Oh my God you like Chat Noir." Nino hissed out in disbelief.
"No Nino, you know she likes Adrien." Alya hissed out.
"But she hasn't been acting like she usually has with him." Nino argued back. "I know you're going to say it's because she's finally getting used to being around Adrien, but I think it's because she no longer likes him that way."
"Nino-" Alya began.
"No! Marinette, you're in love with Chat Nior-" Nino was cut off by the sound of thunder. He looked towards the window then back to the look of wonderment on Marinette's face.
"I didn't know it was supposed to rain today..." Alya said.
"Yeah..." Marinette whispered out, her eyes blank and her gaze looking outside the window.
The next day Marinette returned Adrien's umbrella.
Nino tried to ignore the way how it hurt Adrien.
The next time Chat Noir interacted with Marinette, it was still different, but it was the same. There was a tension in their banter that Nino could not quite place.
Alya was there with him this time.
"Are you sure it's fine-"
"You silly kitty, she's my best friend, she wouldn't put something on her Ladyblog that would hurt me." Marinette said bringing Chat's attention to herself. "Now why are you talking to me when there is a literal akuma on the loose?"
"Well you see I wanted to have this conversation in private, but-"
"Chat if you need tell me later I-"
"Do you like me?" Nino was freaking out. He reached out aggressively for Alya's hand as if to say- do you see this? Is this real life? Is this happening?
"Chat Noir is the sky blue?"
"What?"
"I'm sorry I thought we were asking ridiculous questions." Marinette huffed out. "Of course I like you Chat, I was a fan, then partner in crime, then acquaintance, then friend. Of course I like you Chat, you're my friend." Chat Noir had a smile on his face, it was small, but it was still there.
"Good, you've been acting weird lately so-" Marinette cut him off with a huff of disbelief.
"I've been acting weird? You're the one who's been weird recently, silly kitty." Marinette reached out and flicked Chat Noir's bell and Nino heard Alya mumble a string of silent curses next to him.
"Alright then, Princess," Alya cursed once more, "I leave you with your friends so you may stay safe and away from the akuma battle so I need not worry about you."
"Worry about me?" Marinette taunted back as Chat Noir reached for her hand to place a small kiss on it. "I should worry about you! What shall you do without your Princess to guard your back?" Marinette teased.
"I shall simply have to rely on my Lady for assistance then." He said leaning in just a bit too close to be teasing.
"A poor substitute." Nino did not need to see Alya's face to feel the disbelief radiating from it.
Chat noir leaned in and placed a small delicate kiss on her cheek. "It will have to do, 'til next time, Princess."
"'Til next time, my Knight." With that Chat vaulted up into the air, away from the three friends and to the akuma.
"This is what you've been witnessing all this time?" Alya asked, breaking the silence with her disbelief.
"Yes."
"Holy shit... Adrien has no chance."
"Poor sucker." Nino agreed turning to Alya. In their disbelief, the two of them did not notice Marinette leave.
"Can you believe yesterday? Chat Noir was barely fighting against that akuma until Ladybug showed up."
"Yeah, honestly what a useless cat, Ladybug should just drop him."
The next day at school, Marinette showed up dressed in all original Chat Noir based clothes, hand sewn with bags under her eyes. She handed out Chat Noir fan club stickers, patches and pins and sported a black velvet chocker with a cat bell on the end the whole day.
Nino didn't think Adrien could get much redder.
"Marinette looks pretty today right?" Nino found himself unable to ignore the need to tease his friend.
"I think you mean to say she sure looks purretty today." Adrien then flicked his neck where Marinette's chocker would be and Nino found himself laughing around his very flushed friend.
Nino was escorting Alya to Marinette's house the same day. In honor of Marinette's avid support for Chat Noir, Alya asked to do a piece on her for the Ladyblog, where she would proceed to sell Marinette's new stickers, patches and pins.
Nino decided to stay and watch as the interview took place.
"So tell me, what was your inspiration for all of this over night Chat Noir merchandise?"
"That's an easy question. Chat Noir is a hero in his own right. He, along with Ladybug, defend Paris from evil Akuma's. They save people equally, no matter how annoying they might be, and yet... people don't seem to appreciate Chat Noir as much as they do Ladybug. While Ladybug is an excellent hero, so is Chat Noir and I daresay sometimes he is even more heroic." Marinette took a breath and reached for the bell on her neck, rubbing it back and fourth in a comforting manner. "At the akuma battle a couple of days ago, I overheard a couple of girls talking about how useless Chat Noir was, and I could not believe how ignorant those girls were. I needed to support Chat Noir, I needed to show him that... he has people out there who support and love him, just like they do Ladybug."
"Thank you, and about the actual inspiration for the designs of the stickers, patches and pins... What was the creative process like in making those?"
"Well you see..."
The interview was live-blogged and the response was over-whelming in it's support. Everyone seemed to want to order Marinette's designs, Alya had no idea what she was going to do with the money or Marinette was going to make all of the merchandise but she was happy with the outcome all the same.
"Alright, final question." Alya said, noticing how tired Marinette was getting. "Since it was a popular question on the Ladyblog, I figured I might as well ask. Is that necklace for sale? It is a fan favorite."
"Ah, you see this necklace is-"
"Not for sale." Nino looked up towards Marinette's window and there, lazily swinging his tail back and forth was Chat Noir. He hoped into the room as Alya swiveled the camera to face him.
"Lady-bloggers I present to you the sudden and unexpected appearance of Chat Noir! What are you doing here?" She asked. Chat Noir sauntered further into the room, winking at the camera before turning his gaze fully to Marinette, a look of affection was clearly on his face and Nino knew...
This would not go well.
"A friend of mine told me that this was going on, and I was so touched by Miss Marinette's efforts over here, I decided to pay her a visit." He said as he finally reached Marinette, circling her once before opting to stand over her left shoulder. "I am honored she would think so highly of me and put her creative efforts into something everyone can buy, so thank you Marinette and thank you viewers for your support, Ladybug and I both appreciate it." He said before leaning over Marinette. "So thank you, but I have to prevent you from selling your necklace."
"And why is that?" Marinette asked.
"Because I don't think just anyone should be able to wear it, and I must say it sure looks purretty on you, Marinette." And Chat Noir flicked her bell.
Nino felt like he was in the twilight zone. He knew that joke, he knew that compliment, that movement, the slight flush on Chat Noirs cheeks. He knew the glimmer of mischief in his eyes and Nino knew that voice. Nino snapped his head up and he saw the moment Chat Noir finallly noticed that Alya and Marinette weren't the only two people in the room. They made eye contact and Nino was so very familiar with that shade of green.
Oh, you sly dog.
Adrien was able to avoid Nino for a whole week, but be it bad luck finally catching up with the Black Cat or Nino was simply lucky he had finally got Adrien in a corner. He looked Adrien dead in the eye, a hand on each shoulder, he breathed in deeply and then said-
"You absolute piece of shit, I can't believe you would seduce the girl of your dreams using cat puns, fedora manners and the knight in shinning armor persona. Where did you learn this?"
"Anime."
"You absolute piece of weeb trash." Nino huffed out. "I can't believe Chat Noir is a weeb."
"Well..." Nino new where this was going and he groaned in disbelief. "At least now, the cats out of the bag."
He walked right into that one.
Nino suddenly became an accomplice in all of Chat Noir's endeavors. When he needed to get away, when he needed an alibi for akuma attacks, when he needed to sneak away to impress a certain Princess...
Nino was living in a world of complete disbelief and he couldn't even tell anyone that he knew this was happening. He also learned the whole backstory to the Chat Noir love affair, and to say the least... it truly was a love affair. Nino was still spinning in circles trying to figure it out. First Chat Noir and Adrien were the same person, they both fell in love with Ladybug the moment they-he? met her, then Marinette showed up and she was Adrien's first friend. He didn't like her as anything more because he was so enamored with Ladybug that he didn't notice Marinette until he had to work with her to beat an akuma. She was so different for the Marinette Adrien saw, and as Chat he would always seem to search her out in battles, just to make sure she was okay.
He didn't start the active find and rescue thing until much later, and by then Adrien could admit he was a goner, even if at the time he didn't know it yet. Adrien said he had spent the last month in love with two girls until Nino pointed it out to him at the park that one time.
"So that's why you were being weird?" Nino asked as he walked unto school with Adrien, whispering like a band of thieves.
"What do you mean being weird?" Adrien asked.
"When Alya was there that first time, you were acting weird because you didn't know how to handle Marinette now that you had a crush on her." Nino hissed out a small laugh. Adrien flushed.
"I guess you're right, but that's in the past. Now I have to figure out a way how to get her to fall in love with Chat Noir. I failed the first time around with Ladybug, but now... I really don't want to fail this time Nino." Nino gave him a pat on the back.
"I'm sure we'll figure it out dude." Nino said as they entered the school together.
How crazy, Nino thought, would it be if Adrien had fallen in love with the same girl twice, like Marinette had unknowingly done?
Nino was desperately trying to locate Marinette with Adrien- no with Chat Noir by his side. They were at their lunch break when it happened. Nino knew Chat Noir had fangirls, that wasn't what the problem was, the problem was how they treated Marinette.
They struck at lunchtime. They had her cornered. They asked what her relationship to their precious cat was, they asked if she knew how unworthy she was, if she knew how much better Chat was then her. The words were not the worst part however.
Marinette had started to wear Chat's collar often, not every day, but enough to be noticed by most people. These girls took it as a brand and they wanted it gone.
So that is what they did.
They ripped it from her neck and broke the bell on the ground, leaving the once prestige necklace in a tattered wreck. They left it in shreds on the floor, laughing as they walked away, leaving Marinette to scoop up the remains. She had clutched that necklace close to her and had ran before anyone could stop her.
That's what landed them in this situation now.
"Are you sure you didn't see her run another way!" Chat Noir hissed out at Nino in disbelief.
"I'm positive! I saw her running down this way while you were too busy hacking up fur balls."
"If I wasn't so worried about Marinette I would have applauded you for-" Nino saw Chat's eyes widen in disbelief as he cut of his sentence. There was a moment of silence before Chat began to sprint.
"Where are we going!" Nino huffed out.
"Her favorite place!" Nino followed Chat Noir to a set of stairs facing the Eiffel tower.
Marinette sat silently on the three step to the top.
"Marinette!" Chat Noir yelled out as he flung himself in front of her. He brushed away her bangs and cupped her face in his hands. "Is it still you under there? Have any butterfly's come by! Marinette you can't be an akuma, you-"
"Promised you." Marinettes' voice was better than before, but it was not enough to bring Chat Noir and Nino from the edge of worry. Marinette brought one hand to Chat's as she began to stroke her thumb over the hand that held her face. "I promised you, you'd never have to fight me. I intend to keep it Chat."
"But Mari, you're necklace and you stormed off and I had to know... Marinette I had to make-" Marinette used her other hand to silent Chat.
"I made you a promise and I intend to keep it. You told me that I must not- no cannot, be akumatized and I promise you I have taken that promise and that request to heart." Marinette said. She brushed her hair behind her ear and Nino noticed as her hand lingered around her earring.
"Marinette." Chat's voice cracked a little and it shocked Nino from his musings. "I should have done this a long time ago."
Then Chat Noir kissed her.
Nino let them be.
Nino went to sleep that night with the memory of Adrien as Chat and Marinette playing over and over in his head. Something was wrong with it- no not wrong... terribly off.
Nino could not help it as he played that one spot over and over again. When Marinette promised Chat Noir to never get akumatized... there was something wrong about it, almost like it was impossible for her to get akumatized. SHe put her hair behind her ear-
But her hair was in pigtails... nothing was there to place behind her ear. It was a reaction to something else... why would she unconsciously touched her ear? What was there that she could have possibly fidgeted with? It's not like her ear was special! She wore the same earrings every day for a little over a year! What could-
She wore the same earrings every day for little over a year...
Ladybug showed up a little over a year ago.
She wore the same earrings.
Every day.
The same...
Earrings...
Earrings...
"Holy shit."
"Alya!"
"Nino, you've got to stop calling me at three in the morn-"
"Have you ever seen Ladybug and Marinette in the same place?"
"No, but you know what Nino?"
"What?"
"I've never seen Batman and Marinette in the same building either-"
"Alya-"
"Good night, Nino."
Nino was fidgeting at his desk the next day at school because holy shit two of his best friends were Paris' Dynamic Duo.
"Dude are you okay?" Adrien brought Nino out of his thoughts.
"Nope."
"Nope?" Adrien asked taken aback.
"Yeah, I'm not okay... actually-" Nino turned around to look at Marinette. "I need to speak with you-"
"Nino-"
"After school. No escape." With that he turned back to the front of class and blocked out everyone's questions.
"You two are idiots-"
"Nino what is this-"
"You're Ladybug-"
"What? That's ridiculous! Nino how can clumsy old me possibly be-" At Nino's dead pan-look Marinette gave up. "What gave it away?"
"You're an idiot, that's what gave it away."
Nino deserved a saint-hood for all the bullshit he's dealt with the past two months. The amount of times Marinette has slipped up and almost kissed Chat as Ladybug and the amount of times Adrien has slipped up and almost kissed Marinette as Adrien was unbelievable. Nino was sure he was on some mixed-up, god awful rom-com at this point because the two of them were ridiculous.
"I'm about to explode, Alya."
"Boo-hoo, Nino. You're the one who did this to yourself," Alya said not really paying attention to Nino. She was still adamant in her belief that Ladybug and Marinette were not the same person.
Nino has given up on trying to prove it to her.
"They can't see it! How is it I figured it out, but the two of of them are completely clueless?" He asked in disbelief. "You know what? I'm going to be the good friend, I'm just going to do this! I'm going to make them realize..." He could see it now, the plan was forming so perfectly in his head, it would be great!
It has been awful. Nino has tried every thing from shoving them into closest to sending them to the same spot to transform in and he was done. He was absolutely done.
"I've had it!" He yelled out one day as they were all in the park now working on a separate project. His three friends looked at him at his sudden outburst. "I've absolutely had it!" He hissed out as he pulled Adrien and Marinette with him and began to walk out of the park to an exclusive alleyway. After looking around for a moment to make sure they were alone he dropped their hands and began to rage.
"Transform! I'm done with this! You two are idiots! You fell in love with the same people... TWICE! Each of you!" He hissed out as he began to pace back and forth in front of the two of them.
"I'm sorry Nino, what are you-"
"Not now Alya, I swear to god I have gray hairs because of these two!" He said pointing aggressively at Marinette and Adrien.
"Nino, what are you talking about?" Marinette asked.
"Shut it, Ladybug."
"Ladybug?" It was Adrien's turn to be absolutely floored now.
"Yes, Chat Noir!" Nino hissed out. "I've been trying to get the two of you to admit this to yourself for weeks now, but you wanna know what? I'm done with it!" Nino said simply.
"Are you saying... Adrien is Chat Noir?" Marinette asked, looking to Adrien, disbelief in her gaze.
"Absolutely."
"And you're saying, Marinettte is Ladybug?" It was Adrien's turn to be in disbelief.
"Yup!"
"Well..." Oh for fucks sake, "The cat's out of the bag now, My Lady." Adrien then proceeded to lean over and kiss Marinette's hand. Marinette and Nino groaned.
"I can't believe I fell in love you with." She said as she poked Adrien in the nose and brought his face away from her hand.
"I can't believe I got you to fall in love with me." He teased.
Alya was absolutely floored, "Holy shit."